unit three: buddhism

buddhism religion

nontheistic. missionary religion with a founder (the Buddha). oriented around man, not around God.

three treasures/jewels

1. Buddha

2. Dharma

3. Sangha

nirvana

‘blowing out’ suffering and the solution to the central problem of Buddhism: dukkha

Buddha

born a prince but rejeccted both the luxury of his youth and the self-denial of ascetics to pursue a “middle way” bewteen the two

dharma

after achieving Enlightenment, the Buddha taught his disciples about suffering and how to escape it. Teachings include the Middle Way, the Four Noble Truths, and the Eightfold Path

sangha

the Buddhist community. Originally, referred to just the community of monks and nuns but now includes three distinct schools: Theraveda, Mahayana, and Vajrayana.

the Four Sights

old age, sickness, death, and asceticism

The Four Noble Truths

1. There is suffering (dukkha)

2. There is a cause to suffering (desire)

3. There is an end to suffering

4. There is a path that leads to the end of suffering

bodhi tree

the tree the Buddha sat under to achieve Enlightenment

Siddhartha Gautama

born around 563 BCE to a royal family in Lumbini in Northeast India. Had a midlife crisis in his 30s, wehre he became restless and curious about life outside the palace. sees the four sights and wants to understand the root of human suffering. eventually becomes the Buddha post-Enlightenment.

middle way

Buddha’s practice that rejected both luxury and asceticism and instead sought path of ethical conduct, mental discipline, and wisdom

Eightfold Path

1. ethical conduct (right speech, right action, right livelihood)

2. mental discipline (right effort, right mindfulness, right concentration)

3. wisdom (right understanding and right thought)

dukkha

the central problem of Buddhism. refers to suffering or dissatisfaction that includes suffering over life’s impermanence, what you have/don’t have, and not getting what you want. originates from ignorant craving or wanting something other than what is

Arrow Sermon

Buddha gives the analogy of a man who is struck by a poisoned arrow, but wants to know every detail about the shooter before he pulls it out. The man would likely die with no answer to his questions. The Buddha argues that we should not be so caught up in asking metaphysical questions that it consumes our life.

5 teachings a Theravada layman observes

1. not to destroy life

2. not to steal

3. not to misuse sex

4. not to lie

5. not to take intoxicants

loving kindness

Theravada principle that is a mental blessing. involves extending the same self-love to everyone in the universe.

Buddha’s death

the Buddha died of food poisoning and was cremated. Buddhism stayed popular because its teachings were fully human and provided a story of how Siddhartha found a way out of human suffering

Theravada

• “The Way of the Elders.”

• Most dominant in South and Southeast Asia.

• First school of Buddhism.

• Nirvana is only achievable by monks or nuns who renounce everything and devote all their time and energy into achieving it through meditation

• lay people’s role is to support monasteries with food and merit-giving activities, but cannot reach nirvana

• maintain Buddha was human

• examplar: achat

• believes you achieve Nirvana on your own

• believes in the three marks of existence (anicca, antta, and dukkha)

achat

“Worthy one.” The exemplar of Theravada Buddhism. refers to a monk who will achieve nirvana and be released from the cycle of samsara upon death.

Mahayana

• “Great Vehicle.”

• most popular school

• dominant in East Asia

• similar to bhakti-style Hinduism

• believes you achieve nirvana through your relationships with others

• believes Buddha is a supernatural being who is eternal, allknowing, and can answer prayers (though not a god)

• monks, nuns, and lay people can all achieve nirvana and be devoted to Buddha

• includes zen and Pure Land Buddhism

• exemplar: bodhisattva

bodhisattva

“Awakening being.” Exemplar of the Mahayana school. Refers to people who stay to help others achieve nirvana because they are on the cusp of achieving nirvana themselves.

three marks of existence

1. anicca

2. anatta

3. dukkha

7 states of dukkha

1. birth

2. old age

3. sickness

4. death

5. separation from someone you love

6. contact with someone you dislike

7. inability to achieve your dreams

sutras

Buddhist ‘threads’ or sacred texts

Pali Canon

written records of the oral teachings of the Buddha documented at the First Buddhist Council. fell into three baskets: Sutta Pitaka (basket of discourses), Vinaya Pitaka (basket of monastic discipline) and Abhidhamma Pitaka (basket of higher teachings)

5 skandhas

1. matter

2. feelings

3. perception

4. conditioning factors

5. consciousness

skandha

attributes that make up what we perceive as the “self” according to Theravada Buddhism. part of their idea of anatta (nonself).

three virtues

nonattachment, benevolence, understanding

three vices

greed, hatred, delusion

Avalokiteshvara

most popular bodhisattva. bodhisattva of compassion.worshipped in India, China, Japan, and Tibet

Maitreya

bodhisattva and “buddha to come” who is revered by Theravada and Mahayana practitioners alike

Chennezig

one of the most prominent bodhisattva in Tibet

Padmasambhava

crucial figure in Tibetan Buddhism. traveled around turning evil spirits preventing the construction of a monastery itno protectors of Buddhism. name means “lotus born.'“ Indian Buddhist and tantric master with supernatural powers. revered like Buddha and believed to be an emanation of Amitbaha Buddha. founder of Nyingma schools. also called Guru Rinpoche.

4 major Tibetan monastic orders

1. Nyingma

2. Kagyu

3. Geluk

4. Sakya

Geluk School/Yellow Hats

biggest and most politically dominant Buddhist sect in Tibet. Led by the Dalai Lama.

tulku system

custom of identifying a baby as the rebirth of a specific leader and educating that kid to assume the predecessor’s title and function based on spiritual lineage.

madhyamaka

Tibetan Buddhist concept of nothingness

Paramitayana

gradual cultivation of the Paramitas (perfections), which are sets of qualities to be perfect through practice: generosity, discipline, patience, diligence, meditative concentration, and wisdom.

specific Tibetan Buddhist practices

prayer flags and prayer wheels

Vafrayana

school of Buddhism that focuses on tantras that allow for a really quick path to Enlightenment— including in a single lifetime. the practices are esoteric and are taught by teachers to students, who are only allowed to do them after the teachers determine they are sincere and sufficiently prepared and undergo consecration rituals.

mudras

esoteric ritual hand gestures

mandalas

depictions of celestial palaces that are meant to be viewed in 3D. part of the Vajrayana Buddhist tradition.

shunyata

emptiness. a key principle in Mahayana Buddhism. states that there is no intrinsic value for anything and everything gets its value from its context.

upaya doctrine

the Buddha taught different things to different people because they needed to hear different things. Mahayanist principle that rationalizes the idea of shunyata.

Heart Sutra

Mahayana sutra that consists of a teaching by Avalokiteshvara to a monk says to distill all Mahayana sutras into the idea “form is empty and emptiness is form.” This is said to offer the “heart” of the perfection of wisdom.

Diamond Sutra

Mahayana sutra that states there is no ultimate difference between samsara and nirvana.

Lotus Sutra

Mahayana Sutra that calls into question many of the celebrated events in the life of the Buddha, including his enlightenment and death, and argues that the Buddha was already awakened before the bodhi tree and only appeared to die, for he was immortal.

Zen Buddhism

school of Mahayana Buddhism that took its name from the word “meditation.” Is also Son Buddhism in Korea. talks about the Buddha standing up in front of a crowd to deliver a sermon, but instead of teaching, holds up a lotus flower that transmits wisdom directly to the students. four core teachings:

1. maintaining a special trasnmission outside the teachings

2. not relying upon words and letters

3. pointing directly at the human mind

4. seeing one’s own nature and becoming a buddha

Pure Land Buddhism

a type of Japanese Buddhism that reveres a buddha named Amitabha, who vowed to create a Land of Bliss out of his storehouse of merit. This was called the Pure Land, and he vowed that all who called upon him at death would be reborn in his Pure Land.